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Students Chant 'Build A Wall' During Basketball Game

A high school basketball game between two rival schools in Indiana sparked controversy after some fans accused the opposition of chanting racist remarks.

Bishop Noll and Andrean High School played each other on Feb. 26, ABC 7 reported. Fans on both sides said the two schools have had a friendly rivalry for years.

But some fans felt a line was crossed this time around.

“The student body for Andrean had big placards with the face of [Republican presidential candidate] Donald Trump and they also were yelling, 'Build a wall, build a wall,'” Vincent Soto, a Bishop Noll fan, told ABC 7.

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Bishop Noll has a largely Latino student population. Reactions were mixed among the fans and parents at the basketball game.

“It was jovial,” Andrean parent George Galanos said. “It was a lot of fun. There was hugging going on between the teams.”

Some Bishop Noll fans didn’t see it that way.

“I understand they're kids,” Ashley Howard said. “You expect them to make mistakes. Maybe they didn't know how far to push the envelope because they are rival schools, but that's what the administration is for and that's where the administration is supposed to step in and say, 'hey kids, that's not ok.'”

Howard took to Facebook to share photos of the Andrean fans, the Daily Mail reported. One picture shows fans holding up a sign that reads, "ESPN DEPORTES."

Still, some Andrean fans insisted that there was no animosity between the two teams.

“The Bishop commented on how well the kids were with each other,” Galanos said. " ... You had Andrean people mixing and intermingling with Bishop Noll, and Bishop Noll intermingling.”

Bishop Noll issued a statement regarding the incident.

“The accusations being leveled against Andrean are being taken very seriously by Bishop Noll Institute,” the statement read. “ ... This is a teachable moment for everyone about responsible speech, social media, and sportsmanship. Perhaps last night's incident was an unfortunate byproduct of irresponsible speech in today's political arena.”

Meanwhile, basketball players on both teams told ABC 7 they didn’t hear the chants because they were focused on the game.